Hibiscus plant named ‘Midnight Marvel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of winter-hardy herbaceous  Hibiscus  hybrid plant named ‘Midnight Marvel’ comprising a naturally-short, compact, heavy-branching habit. The foliage has strong dark purple overtones, and the plant flowers with a multitude of deep scarlet-red flowers with a darker red eye over at least 12 weeks during the summer until frost.

Botanical classification: Hibiscus hybrid (L.).

Variety denomination: ‘Midnight Marvel’.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hardy, herbaceous,hibiscus plant, Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel’ hybridized by Kevin A. Hurdin the summer of 2008 at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The new plant,originally labeled # 07-314-10, is from a cross between Hibiscus ‘SummerStorm’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,443 (female pod parent) times theproprietary hybrid # 06-87-02 (not patented) (male pollen parent). Bothparents have a complex mixture of species in them, most likely includingthe species: moscheutos, coccineus and laevis (formerly militaris).Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel’ was first asexually propagated in 2009 byboth stem cuttings and sterile tissue culture at the same nursery inZeeland, Mich. The resultant plants have been found to be stable andtrue to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel’ differs from its parents as well as all otherhardy hibiscus known to the applicant in many traits. The foliage colorof ‘Midnight Marvel’ is a dark green with an overlay of grayed purpleand the foliage shape of ‘Midnight Marvel’ is variable, depending on thetime of year and position on the stem. Most leaves are palmatifid orpalmately lobed to cleft with some either young leaves or those onimmature plants being palmately ovate. The flowers of ‘Midnight Marvel’are nearly flat-faced with deep scarlet-red petals. The most similarhibiscus to ‘Midnight Marvel’ known to the applicant are Hibiscus‘Cranberry Crush’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,984, Hibiscus ‘Summer Storm’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,443, Hibiscus ‘Fireball’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,631 and Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,793. Comparedto ‘Cranberry Crush’ the new plant has a flatter flower with deeperscarlet-red flower color, not as lustrous petals, and the foliage ismuch darker purple. Compared to ‘Summer Storm’ and ‘Kopper King’ the newplant has a much more intense scarlet-red flower, is shorter in habitand finer in leaf than ‘Kopper King’. Compared to ‘Fireball’ the newplant is shorter, more compact and less splaying in habit with muchdarker purple foliage. Compared to the male parent, # 06-87-02, the newplant is shorter, more compact and better branched with a richer deepscarlet-red flower.

Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel’ is a unique hardy herbaceous hibiscus withthe following combined traits:

-   -   1. Hardy perennial, naturally short, rounded habit with dense        branching.    -   2. Many slightly cupped flowers over a prolonged season having        deep scarlet-red overlapping petals and a darker red lustrous        eye.    -   3. Variably shaped foliage of dark green with strong dark purple        overlay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower with grayed-purple overlay on darkgreen foliage.

FIG. 2 shows the plant short, compact, rounded habit of a three year-oldplant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hibiscus ‘MidnightMarvel’, has not been observed under all possible environments. Thephenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions,such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of one year-old plants in the loamy-sand open fieldtrials of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer andwater as needed. The plants are natural habit and were not treated withplant growth regulators, nor were they pinched at any time in the growthyear.

-   Parentage: Hibiscus ‘Summer Storm’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,443    (female pod parent) times the proprietary hybrid # 06-87-02 (not    patented) (male pollen parent).-   Propagation:    -   -   Method.—Stem cuttings and sterile plant tissue culture            division.        -   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture.—About two weeks.        -   Rooting habit.—Normal, branching, developing thick to about            3.0 cm diameter, fleshy; root color creamy white between RHS            159A and lighter than RHS 159 D depending on soil type.        -   Crop time.—Under normal summer growing conditions 12 to 16            weeks to flower in a four-liter container from cutting.            Plant vigor is very good.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant shape and habit.—Hardy herbaceous perennial with 2 to            4 thick upright and heavily branched main stems producing a            rounded mound about 85.0 cm tall and 80.0 cm wide; 8 to 15            primary branches per main stem protruding at 60° to 75°            angle from horizontal, secondary branches on the lower one            third to half of the primary branches; lateral branch.        -   Size.—Between 8.0 cm and 40 cm long (shorter at the upper            nodes) and average 1.0 cm diameter at the base of branch.        -   Stem.—Rounded, glabrous, glaucous; average 85.0 cm tall and            3.0 cm diameter at base; stem color between RHS 184A and RHS            184B.        -   Plant size.—Unpinched plant with stems 85 cm tall; overall            plant about 80 cm wide about 30 cm above the base (widest            point).        -   Internode.—About 27 nodes per stem, average internode length            about 3.0 cm of unpinched plant, varied between 2.0 to 6.0            cm widest in middle portion of stem.-   Foliage description: Alternate; dentate; glabrous; heterophyllous;    palmatifid, tri-lobed to cleft; with lobes open to less than 90    degrees, with some immature leaves oblong ovate with ovate to    cordate bases and acute apexes; texture above lustrous in distal    leaves and dull in proximal leaves, texture below dull; palmately    veined; leaf blade size average 14 cm long and 12 cm wide, becoming    smaller in distal portion of stem.    -   -   Foliage color.—Adaxial side nearest bright green between RHS            141B and RHS 141C with overlay of between RHS N187B and RHS            N187A in light; abaxial side between RHS 138A and RHS 138B            with tinting of nearest RHS 187A.        -   Veins.—Palmate; primary and secondary adaxial veins becoming            reddish nearest RHS 185B; primary abaxial veins between RHS            187C near base and RHS 185B distally, secondary veins            nearest RHS N186C.        -   Petioles.—Average size 6.5 cm long and 3.0 mm wide; mostly            cylindrical with proximal petioles more plano-convex;            glaucous, glabrous.        -   Petiole color.—Above between RHS 187C and RHS 187D in more            light and where protected from light nearest RHS 139C; below            between RHS 187A to RHS 185B in higher light and nearest RHS            182C where protected from light.-   Flower description:    -   -   Buds.—One day prior to opening about 5.5 cm long and 3.5 cm            in diameter, acute apex and bluntly rounded base, unopened            petals wrinkled at veins, exposed petal color nearest RHS            187C; prior to showing petals: buds are about 3.5 cm long            and 2.5 cm in diameter, ovoid with acute apex, carinate at            the fusion seam of the sepals; color between RHS 141C and            RHS 141D with veining, sepal carina and tinting between RHS            N186C and RHS 187D.        -   Epicalyx.—Entire, smooth, glabrous, linear with sharply            acute apex and attenuate base, curved around sepals; 11 to            12 per flower; about 2.5 cm long tapering to base of about            3.0 mm wide; adaxial and abaxial color between RHS 141C and            RHS 143C except for the apical 4.0 to 6.0 mm between RHS            187C and RHS 187C.        -   Sepals.—Five, proximal half connate forming campanulate            star-shaped calyx; acute apex; margin entire, edentate;            about 4.0 cm long and 5.0 cm wide; abaxial color between RHS            141D and RHS 143C adaxial color between RHS 141D and RHS            143D; margins and five primary sepal veins tinted toward            apex nearest between RHS 187C and RHS N186D.        -   Flowers.—Solitary, 16 to 22 per main stem without pinching;            slightly cupped petals opening to about 160 degrees; upward            and outwardly facing; average 20.0 cm across and 4.5 cm            deep, larger in early part of flowering season; persist for            a one to two days; effective for at least 12 weeks beginning            mid July and lasting into October; no detectable fragrance.        -   Petals.—Five; glabrous, slightly lustrous, adnate to the            androecium, imbricate to about 110% overlapping at widest            part (petals completely overlapping the next petal and 10%            of the petal in the position two over); shape: rounded;            margins: entire, edentate; apex: rounded; base: short            claw-like; size: average 12 cm long and 13 cm wide at widest            portion (larger in earlier part of flowering season); center            dark eye about 3.5 cm diameter.        -   Petal color.—Adaxial between RHS 60B and RHS 187C with a            darker eye of nearest RHS 46A; abaxial color between RHS 60B            and RHS 187C; petal veins ribbed on back and impressed on            front producing a slightly ruffled appearance; vein color            adaxial nearest RHS 187 on adaxial surface and the same as            surrounding tissue on abaxial surface.        -   Gynoecium.—Style: enclosed in column about 7.5 cm long and            1.5 cm wide at base; column color nearest RHS 61C at base            and RHS 60A distally; style protruding from column and split            in distal 10.0 mm portion into five branches and protrudes            from column, branch diameter 2.0 mm; branch color nearest            RHS 59B; Stigma: five; globose, puberulose, about 3.0 mm in            diameter, nearest RHS 59A; Ovary: superior, about 6.0 mm            across at base and 6.0 mm tall; acute apex; color: closest            to RHS 145B.        -   Androecium.—Filaments: numerous, about 140; less than 1.0 mm            in diameter and about 6.0 mm long; attached to nearly the            entire length of column; nearest RHS 60A; Anthers: reniform;            about 2 mm long and 1 mm wide; nearest RHS 60D; Pollen:            numerous, globose, less than 0.1 mm long, between RHS 22A            and RHS 22B.        -   Pedicel.—Rounded, glabrous, from base of sepal to abscission            point average 2.5 cm long and 3.0 mm wide on early flowers            decreasing in distal flowers; color nearest RHS 183B with            high light exposure and nearest RHS 138B with more shading.        -   Peduncle.—Rounded, glabrous, flowers are held easily visible            on average 5.5 cm long from abscission point to stem and 3.0            mm wide, longer on earlier flowers; base color between RHS            144A and RHS 138A with a strong tinting of RHS 184B.        -   Fruit.—Few, loculicidal capsule; glabrous; globose,            occasionally with abruptly acute apex; RHS N199B when            mature.        -   Seed.—Minutely floccose, globose to slightly reniform; 3 to            4 mm in diameter; RHS 200A.-   Disease resistance: Resistance beyond that of other hardy hibiscus    cultivars has not been observed. The plant grows best with plenty of    moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought    when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 9, and    other disease resistance is typical of that of other hardy hibiscus    cultivars.

I claim:
 1. A new cultivar of hardy herbaceous Hibiscus hybrid plantnamed ‘Midnight Marvel’ as herein illustrated and described, comprisinga naturally-short, compact, heavy-branching rounded habit; alsodark-green leaves with dark purple overlays and with a multitude oflarge, deep scarlet-red, slightly-cupped flowers over at least 12 weeksfrom early summer until frost suitable for potted plant culture,landscaping as a specimen or en masse, and especially suited for patiosand confined spaces because of the compact habit.